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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · wax · fine · face · fall · lash · ground · wound

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. face — part of the head
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. face — to confront
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. fine — all right
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com